Author's Note: Here's what you've all been waiting for! I hope the scene of the confession goes really smoothly with you all!

And thank you to MusicLover2010 for the location of the confession. I hope you like the scene!

Chapter 18: Confessions

WxWxW

When Sakura opened her eyes, she still couldn't believe that she was back home, that she wasn't under Miu's control anymore, and that she was back in the place she loved. However as the pink haired kunoichi pinched herself, she began to believe that it was all real. Climbing out of bed, she winced as her sore body ached, changing her clothes to get ready.

Even though the sun was shining outside and the villagers were back in the village, managing the shops and restaurants, Sakura couldn't help but feel something drop in her gut. She knew that she should take caution of it, but she didn't want to let it worry her because of her friends. They were important to her and she wanted to mend whatever distances came between them. Stepping out of her apartment, the kunoichi breathed in the fresh air and sighed, smiling. Hopefully this day would go well.

Making her way to the old training grounds, she passed shops that had bustling customers and took a glance at some clothing and food too, deciding to buy a stick of dango. She was about to head straight to the grounds, but decided against it, knowing her friends, that Naruto would be late. Rolling her eyes, she took a bite of dango and walked on, wondering if she were to-

"Sakura!" Whirling around, Ino waved at her from her flower shop, a bouquet of white roses in her hand. The pink haired girl smiled as she approached the blonde and nodded in greeting.

"Hey Ino," She said as she took a step inside the shop, looking around.

"So, how are you? Your wounds doing alright?" Ino asked as she set the bouquet in a vase, filling it up with water.

"Mm, they're getting better. Hey, why are you working? It's your day off today. Shouldn't you at least spend some time out?" Sakura asked as she turned around, tilting her head to the side curiously. The Yamanaka chuckled as she turned around, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, but my dad reminded me that I had to deliver these flowers to someone, so once I'm finished I'm free. Do you want to come?" She asked as she walked towards the door, the vase in her hands. Sakura followed behind her, shutting the lights as she made her way out.

"To deliver those roses?" Ino nodded as she locked the door, bringing her hair over to the side.

"C'mon, it'll be quick. Then we can go do something." Sakura blinked and remembered her plans for today. She walked beside her blonde best friend, heading towards the person who will receive the flowers.

"Actually, I was planning to meet Naruto and Sasuke today. Maybe we could meet up with everyone at Ichiraku's or something like that?" Sakura suggested as they stopped in front of a house. For some reason it looked familiar.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Ino replied as she knocked on the door. "Hello? This is the Yamanaka's, your delivery's here!" She called out as she waited for someone to open the door. Sakura watched as the door pulled open and Shikamaru stepped out, a surprised look on his face.

"Uh, hey Ino." He greeted, his eyes locked on the flowers and not on her face. Ino seemed shocked as well but kept it hidden, smiling.

"Here, these were requested by your family so I came to deliver them." She replied, handing the Nara the white roses in the vase. Shikamaru holding a flower vase did not mix together, Sakura realized as he kept his eyes downcast, a light blush covering his cheeks. Sakura smirked as she realized what was going on. Seems like this didn't really turn out as planned.

"Uh thanks, hey mom, the flowers are here!" He yelled as he turned his head over his shoulder.

"What dear?" In a second, Shikamaru's mother was standing behind him, her eyes locked on the flowers. "Oh what beautiful roses. Thank you for delivering them Ino, but I didn't order any."

For the next minute or two, silence ensued and a really red Shikamaru kept his gaze on the ground as Ino realized what was going on. Sakura grinned from the side, munching on her dango quietly. This was too good! Shikamaru's mother cleared her throat, a little red in the face as she patted her son's shoulder.

"Well Shikamaru, I'll leave it to you." She politely said as she disappeared back into the house, leaving the flustered Nara outside. There was another moment of silence before Sakura cleared her throat loudly, hopefully getting the two teammates out of their silence battle.

"Shikamaru," Ino whispered, her cheeks dusted with pink. Sakura smiled as her best friend met her teammate's gaze, a small smile on her lips. Shikamaru gave the Yamanaka a quirk of a smile and handed her a white rose from the vase.

"They're your favorite…right?" He quietly said, his eyes shining with happiness. Sakura took a mental picture of this scene and watched for a moment as Ino took the flower, fingering the stem. The blonde nodded as she looked back up at her teammate, a conversation starting that Sakura didn't want to interrupt.

Walking away quietly, she threw the empty stick of dango in the trashcan and looked to the sky. Sasuke and Naruto should be there by now, she thought as she smiled. Making her way to the training grounds, she came around the corner to see Sasuke and Naruto chatting softly, leaning against the worn out posts.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed over by the side, waving her hands up as they turned their heads. The both of them broke out in a grin as they walked over, nodding to her in greeting.

"What took you so long Sakura-chan? It's not like you to be late," Naruto observed as he put a hand on his chin, a mischievous look in his eyes. The pink haired girl chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Ah, I met up with Ino earlier. Say, why don't we meet up with everyone for dinner? Wouldn't that be fun?" She asked as she looked at the both of them with shining eyes. Sasuke nodded quietly, his hands shoved in his pockets while Naruto cheered, naming places where they could eat.

"So where should we go until then?" Sasuke asked as the three of them set off into the streets again, joining the bustling crowd. Sakura thought about it, tapping her chin in thought when a certain team appeared out of nowhere.

"Lee!" Naruto cried out as Team Guy walked over, a relaxed look on their faces. Lee began chatting excitedly with Naruto as Neji and Tenten greeted Sasuke and Sakura.

"How are you doing Sakura?" Tenten asked with a small tilt of her head. She was dressed in her usual Chinese outfit but her shirt was a dark green while her pants remained white, her headband tied around her neck. Neji however still looked the same as ever.

"I'm great Tenten! I was afraid that this wasn't real but it looks like it is," She replied as Sasuke glanced over at her curiously, seeing a bright true smile on her face.

"Really? That's great! I'm glad," The weapon's specialist replied, putting her hands together happily.

"Oh that's right. We were planning to all get together later for dinner, what do you think?" Sakura put out as Naruto joined the conversation.

"That sounds nice. Would you like us to tell the others?" Neji asked as he activated his Byakugan, searching. Tenten scowled and smacked his arm, gesturing him to stop.

"Let's not use that. We can search for them around town on foot. It'll be much more fun that way!" Tenten exclaimed as Lee joined in, rejoicing in the power of youth.

"Let's meet in front of Ichiraku's restaurant!" Naruto added as Team Guy walked away, Tenten waving her hand behind her as a signal she got it. "Alright, what should we do now?" He asked as he turned to his two teammates, a grin on his face.

"Why don't we walk around for a bit, do some shopping, maybe eat?" Sakura suggested with a shrug, earning two nods from her friends. Smiling, she looped her arms through her teammates' and led them forward, the busy crowd and love bird friends making the mood of today even better. Who knows maybe one of her friends will confess to one another?

WxWxW

Once Sasuke had even managed to stop next to the worn out training post, Naruto rushed in with a cheery grin on his face. Ready to face off his ever hyperactive personality, he sighed and leaned against the post, Naruto following suit. The two of them began talking about random things, whether it was about ramen or Kakashi-sensei he really couldn't care less. His mind was wandering elsewhere, where a scene replayed over and over inside his head, hoping that it would somehow come true on this very day.

But the thought that stopped it each time was, exactly how to tell her. From the way she acted when she called us over, it was like he was already placed in the friend zone. But he knew for some reason that that couldn't be it; that there was something else. When she had suggested that everyone would meet up later for dinner, he decided that he had to do it either before or after.

He just didn't know how.

That stupid thought crossed his mind again and he wanted to smack himself for it. It wasn't hard to say, it was three words. Just three words. And yet whenever he thought about that scene, his heart burst into a frenzy, wanting to break out of his chest. As the three of them walked around, he tried to think of a location, one where a significant memory was placed.

He felt a pull on his arm and saw Sakura being dragged by Naruto to some stuffed plushies of the big dango family. The blonde gushed at them, a bit of drool coming, but Sakura hit him straight on the head, growling at him not to eat those. Sasuke chuckled, catching the attention of the pink haired teen that turned around, a questioning look in her eyes. As soon as onyx eyes met with emerald ones, Sasuke averted his gaze and looked away, his heart beginning to race once more.

As Naruto ran over to another shop, Sasuke saw Sakura sigh as she ran a hand through her soft hair. He could tell her now, but…this place just didn't seem like the perfect place. He came up to her and glanced down at her wrist, seeing the bracelet that he had given her. It was still in perfect condition.

So she had kept it all this time. But then does that mean that she had feelings for him? That she liked him as well? Well he certainly felt like she did. But then again he might just be assuming things. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second and opened them again, glancing back at the pink bracelet on her wrist.

He looked at her hand and realized how much he wanted to hold it, to hug her and to tell her how much he loved her. But, not knowing exactly how she would react, he clenched the fist that was in his pocket, stopping himself from doing all those things.

"Sasuke," He looked up to see Sakura glancing back at with an arched eyebrow. "C'mon, Naruto says he just saw Team Kurenai and wanted to surprise them." Nodding, he followed the pink haired kunoichi through the crowd, making sure to not lose sight of the girl he loved.

"Kiba!" Naruto yelled as they came to a slightly quieter place in the streets. The Inuzuka turned around and grinned as the hyperactive knucklehead came walking over. Hinata gasped as Naruto said hello, laughing and having a good time. She stood next to Shino with pink cheeks, fiddling with her fingers. Sasuke took note of this and tapped Sakura's shoulder, nudging his head over to Hinata.

She looked at him for a second, her emerald eyes unreadable, but understood, walking over to Hinata's side to whisper in her ear. That just left him and Shino standing in front of each other.

"Hi," Shino greeted, his voice soft behind that high collar of his. Sasuke blinked and nodded, realizing how word deprived the both of them are.

"Hey," The Uchiha replied, his hands in his pockets casually. "We're not…very talkative people…are we?" He asked in a low voice, his eyes looking into the sunglasses of Shino.

"Yeah," The Aburame said, confirming his question. Sighing, Sasuke looked up to the sky, his hand behind his head when Kiba suddenly yelped. Team 7 looking over at him; he had a giddy look on his face.

"Yes! A dinner for all of us? That'd be awesome!" He excitedly said as he pumped his fist into the air. "Where are we meeting later?"

"In front of Ichiraku's. Though I'm sure we're not eating there." Sakura replied, a depressed groaning Naruto behind her. Hinata took this as her chance, walking up to him, asking to take a walk. Surprisingly for her, Naruto had agreed, his depressed mood gone. Luckily for the both of them, the others didn't notice. Well at least not Kiba and Shino.

"Alright then, we'll see you later! Hey-where's Hinata?" Kiba asked as he did a full 360, getting dizzy.

"Don't worry about her. You'll see her later though." Sakura answered for him, a bright grin on her face. Kiba and Shino glanced at each other-which was kind of awkward because of the sunglasses, but shrugged, heading off in the opposite direction Naruto and Hinata disappeared.

And now it was just Sasuke and Sakura.

"So," Sakura said as she turned around, her hands clasped behind her. Sasuke blinked and tried to control his racing heart.

"Yeah, want to get something to drink?" He suggested, giving her a wary glance through his onyx eyes. Sasuke watched as the pink kunoichi widened her eyes, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Sure!" As she walked beside him, he let out a breath of air, hoping that things would go well.

WxWxW

As soon as Sasuke had asked her, her stomach felt all fluttery inside. She knew this feeling. And it's one that she hadn't felt in so long, ever since he had left. She knew he was looking at the bracelet he had given her, and his silence proved that he was thinking of doing something. She knew what that something was, but she didn't want to think about it until it happened. Until she finds out what he feels for her. The two of them decided to stop by a nearby tea shop and sat down, ordering some lunch.

"Sakura," The pink haired kunoichi looked up to see Sasuke staring intently at her, his face expressionless. She winced inwardly, hating when he did that to everyone.

"Hm?" She asked as she took a sip of her tea, sighing as she set the cup down.

"You kept the bracelet." He said bluntly, his finger pointing at the bracelet around her wrist. Sakura smiled and nodded as she fingered the beads.

"You gave it to me," She softly replied, her eyes softening. Silence came for a few seconds before Sasuke began eating his lunch quietly. She joined him only a second later, his presence keeping her calm. As she ate, a single thought kept wrapping around her head, should she tell him? What if he doesn't like her back? What will happen then?

"-kura," Snapping her head up, she met Sasuke's astonished onyx eyes and blinked repeatedly, clearing her head.

"Yes?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he put his chopsticks on the tip of his lips.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked in a low voice, giving her a concerned raise of his eyebrow. Sakura widened her eyes for a moment but stuttered out a yes, taking a sip of her tea.

Damn, what was she doing? You can settle things out later, just focus on eating and you'll be fine! Or so she thought. Once the two of them were finished eating, they stepped outside to see the sun beginning to come down. The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder through the crowd, when Sasuke decided to say something.

"After dinner, come outside." He quietly said, his hands shoved in his pockets. Sakura nodded in reply and assumed that they were parting ways to get ready.

"Sure, I'll see you later then!" She cheerfully exclaimed as she walked off in a different direction from him, waving. Sasuke simply gave her a small nod before disappearing into the crowd once more.

Sakura let out a really big sigh as she leaned against a wall, her hand against her heart. Just what the hell was going on with her? And what did Sasuke mean? She shook her head in between her hands and told herself to forget it as she went home to get ready for the dinner tonight.

Hopefully she'd have a better state of mind at the dinner later.

WxWxW

As Sasuke stepped out of his apartment, he looked up into the sky and saw that the stars were out as the crowd in the streets became busier. He took a deep breath and let it out shortly before locking his door behind him, making his way down the steps. While he was making his way home from eating lunch with Sakura, he had decided on the location, and if they chose that restaurant, then it would be really near to it.

Shoving his hand in his pockets, he acted emotionless on the outside when in reality, his stomach had a gut feeling which he couldn't swallow down. Wearing a black button down t-shirt and blue pants, he came in front of Ichiraku's restaurant to see some of the others already there, chatting excitedly. Approaching Shino, he nodded in greeting, hoping to somehow strike up a conversation with him. Sai was also in the group, talking with a smile on his face, his usual black long sleeve shirt and pants on. Before the Uchiha could manage to even say "hello" to the Aburame, a loud yell made everyone all stop talking to look over at a running Naruto.

"I'M NOT LATE AM I?" He yelled as he came to a stop, panting as he leaned on his knees. Lee came up to him and patted his shoulder, grinning.

"NO OF COURSE NOT MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND! Everyone is still not here, so we are waiting." He explained with that 'youthful' tone of his. Naruto nodded as he tried to regain his breath, sighing as he stood back up.

"Hey guys," Everyone turned around to see Sakura standing in a white kimono with red flowers on it, Hinata standing next to her in a dark blue kimono with golden specs on them. Tenten burst from the crowd, a light blush on her face as she hugged the both of them.

"You guys look awesome!" She complimented as Ino came up behind her to squeal in delight too.

"I just absolutely love your kimono!" She exclaimed to the both of them, a shining gleam in her eyes.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this and turned to his friends, seeing them all roll their eyes in unison. Girls, they all thought at the same time.

"Oi, everyone! Where are we going to eat?" Chouji asked as he gained everyone's attention. The group glanced over at the person who arranged everything, looking expectantly. Sakura chuckled and scratched her cheek sheepishly, rubbing her foot against the ground.

"What about there?" She pointed to Chouji's favorite barbeque restaurant, immediately earning a cheer of approval.

"So who's gonna be paying?" Kiba shouted out as they headed inside, Akamaru already behind him, his tail wagging. Instantly, all heads turned to Shikamaru, a grin on their faces. The Nara tried to stare defiantly back at them, but he groaned and shook his head, patting his wallet in sorrow.

"Troublesome," He muttered under his breath as everyone laughed, pushing him into the restaurant. Immediately as soon as they all got in, they all got mixed up getting to their separate tables. Somehow it ended up like this; Naruto, Hinata, Chouji, Sai, Ino, and Shikamaru at one table, while at the other one was; Sakura, Sasuke, Shino, Lee, Tenten, Kiba, and Neji.

As everyone got settled, they all thanked Shikamaru for the treat out, earning them a mutter of 'troublesome' once more. Sasuke glanced at his new word deprived companion and was about to strike up a conversation with him again when Lee interrupted loudly.

"I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE A TOAST, TO SAKURA-SAN'S SAFE RETURN!" He exclaimed as he lifted his drink up, the others joining in with him.

"YEAH!"

"Welcome back Sakura!" Tenten happily said as she clinked her cup with hers, grinning. The pink haired kunoichi smiled as all of her friend's glasses clinked with hers.

The night went on as everyone joked around, loud bustling laughter coming from both sides when suddenly a certain someone decided to pop in. All heads turned as they recognized the person, smiles appearing on their lips.

"Tsunade-sama!" The Hokage grinned as she waved hello to everyone, a proud smile on her face.

"Alright, let's get to drinking!" She cheered as she sat herself down next to Naruto, grinning. The blonde hyperactive ninja gulped in nervousness as the Hokage began to order her first round. Suddenly, it seemed like sitting on this side was a bad idea for him.

Suddenly, a few more heads popped in and the teens exclaimed once more as their senseis stepped in, sitting on both sides. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched slightly as Guy took a seat next to Lee, flashing them all a shining grin. Kakashi also sat at their table, grinning as he took out his familiar orange book.

To him, it seemed like it was going to be a long, eventful night.

WxWxW

Everything seemed to be going well until Sakura heard her name being mentioned on the other side. Turning her head, she tried to listen more closely when Tsunade's head appeared over the divider, a grin on her drunken face.

"Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked nervously as the Hokage marched over and took her arm, pulling her to the other side.

"Sakura-san, do not leave us!" Lee exclaimed on the other side, his voice rising up to a shrill. The pink haired teen gave Naruto's side a quirky smile as Tsunade hooked her arm around her neck, nearly choking her to death.

"Sakura dear, you need to get a man," Said teen was surprised to hear that that sentence wasn't from her Master. Glancing over to the side, Kurenai hiccupped as she took another swig of her drink.

"K-kurenai-sensei?" Hinata worriedly said, putting a hand on her teacher's shoulder. Kurenai glanced over at her student with her red eyes and smiled, patting the Hyuga's head softly.

"You're ahead of the game Hinata, already getting yourself a man." She loudly said, pointing over at Naruto with a scowl. Everyone at that table froze for a second as Hinata lowered her head, her face becoming super beet red.

"Kurenai-sensei…I-I think that's enough." Ino stuttered as she wrapped her hand around the bottle of sake. Before she could even pull it out of her hands, Kurenai stood up and wandered to the other table, going off about how men can be sometimes jerks.

Suddenly it became a table hopping business, everyone switching tables quickly, drops of sake spilling the floor. Sakura could hardly believe what was happening when Tenten appeared in front of her, a confused look on her face.

"What the fu-" She disappeared, only to be replaced with Lee who was also heavily drunk which was odd.

"Herrrooo Sakura-chyaaaan~!" He greeted as he waved girlishly. Sakura quirked her eyebrow and waved back at him before he was pulled away once more. Sasuke sat in his spot, an irritated look on his face.

"Hey," He managed to say before his body was switched again to be Naruto.

"This is soo cool~!" The Uzumaki said excitedly as he disappeared again. Sakura ran a hand down her face, sighing when a hand found itself on her shoulder. Tsunade looked at her with a sober look and put down her bottle of sake.

"Listen Sakura, even though Kurenai was drunk she was right. You've got the looks, and the personality, now all you need is a man to make it perfect." She softly said, patting her cheek before standing up to grab the now presently flying people in her hands, stopping all of the action.

"Alright…the after party starts….now!" Cheers erupted all around as the flying resumed once more, dishes clattering. Some of the quiet people decided to leave though, like Shino, Kakashi, and Asuma who all decided to take a 'walk' while the remaining people were caught in the whirlwind of drunkenness.

Before Sakura was captured in it as well, she managed to slip out of the restaurant unnoticed and sighed as the silence surrounded her. Boy was she happy that they made Shikamaru pay the bill. She wondered what the place would look like tomorrow….

"Hey," Turning around, Sasuke came out from behind the paper banner with an amused look on his face.

"Hi," Sakura replied softly as the Uchiha stood beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"Want to take a walk?" He asked as he glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. Sakura tilted her head to the side and looked over her shoulder just in time to avoid a flying sake bottle.

"Sure," She agreed as the two of them went down the street, the night sky gazing down on them. The silence was very calming as they wandered down a familiar road. Widening her eyes slightly, she saw the stone bench that had ended everything when she was younger. Sasuke went in front of her and sat down on the bench, looking up at her with a curious gaze.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he scooted over to the side for more room. Sakura blinked a couple times before shaking her head, sitting down.

"N-nothing, it's nothing." She replied as she looked down at her hands, lacing her fingers together. Memories of Sasuke leaving appeared in the back of her mind but she forgot about them when said Uchiha started talking.

"Does it remind you of the time I-"

"Yes," She cut in, smiling at him with a softened gaze. Sasuke nodded as he took a breath, letting it out slowly. His heart was racing and yet, he couldn't get the words out to her! Should he just…go out and tell her? Or…or….

"I'm sorry," He lifted his head in surprise when Sakura suddenly spoke. "For acting really mean to you during that mission. I was just really hurt when you all left." She lowered her eyes from his, her eyes clouding with emotion.

"Sakura," He whispered, taking her hand gently in both of his. It was warm and it sent a burst of warmth through his stomach.

"To feel like I had no talent at all was just the worst, and when you left with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, I-I didn't know what to do. I thought to myself, do I keep being this weak type of person, or do I step forward and get stronger? And when you all came back, Naruto didn't even notice that I had changed in some way! To think that idiot-"

"Sakura," The pink haired kunoichi turned her head over to the Uchiha who was looking at her intently. "You've changed. Everybody knows that. And they're happy that you realized who you were really were. I can tell that Naruto has noticed, he's just-Naruto. You don't need to prove who you are anymore. You're perfectly fine with who you are…." He took a short breath, his heart racing a mile a minute as he said it.

"I love you for who you are."

Sakura widened her eyes at this, shocked for a second. Did….did he just…? Lowering her head, her lips curved into a smile, slowly getting wider. She lifted her head to meet Sasuke's gaze and smiled as she squeezed his hand. She stared into his eyes, the onyx eyes that she fell in love with, the ones who stared back at her with the same emotion.

"I love you too," She softly said as she leaned her head against his shoulder, hoping to enjoy this warmth for the rest of her life. The two of them gazed up into the sky, the stars shining down on them as they sat there on the bench that had ended everything.

Now that bench would become their beginning.

WxWxW

Author's Note: …..I really hope that the confession wasn't lame….I really really hope it wasn't…..if it was….well then you can see how 'inexperience' I am when it sorta comes to things like this….If it wasn't lame, then I hand you these stuffed big dango family plushies! I want to say thank you for putting all your support into this story! And do let me know if you would like a sequel! Just add in the review what you'd like the sequel to be about, and I'll take that idea into consideration! I'm so thankful for all of your support and I do hope that you continue to support my other stories! I'll see you all in my other stories~!

-FallenWing21